Who Said Love is Painless?
by sunshine everlasting
Summary: Love was never easy for the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black.
1. Chapter 1

Rodolphus Lestrange didn't know where he went wrong. Bellatrix Black by all accounts should have made an excellent wife. She was a pureblood, sorted into the right house, had the right politics, had the right friends...but that was the problem, wasn't it? She was a true believer, a zealot, when it came to the Dark Lord.

She never would have married him if it hadn't been asked of her. She would much rather devote herself to _him._ Not that their sham of a marriage did much to stop her. Rodolphus was well aware of the rumors. He would have expected more _discretion_ from their glorious leader. Rodolphus wasn't sure how much of what he heard was true, he wasn't sure he even cared.

In the beginning it had hurt him. Of course it had. Not so much the disloyalty but the shame that came with it. What kind of man couldn't control his wife? But Bellatrix wasn't the type of woman to be controlled. She'd made that very clear.

When the rumors of infidelity first began Rodolphus had tried confronting his wayward wife. In retaliation she had an affair with Rabastan and arranged so Rodolphus would walk in on them. No amount of magic could ever reverse the trauma of seeing his brother naked.

That was the end of any hope for a true marriage. Rodolphus hadn't dared to lay a hand on Bellatrix since then. They slept in separate rooms, ate at different times, and kept different company. The only time they acknowledged each other was when their duties to the Dark Lord required it.

In that regard they were excellent together. A perfect team, with no moral qualms and an unshakable devotion to their master. They had so much in common then, but that was also another problem. They were cruel, unspeakably so, and when there were no muggleborns to torture they had to turn to each other for an outlet.

Abuse came from both sides, sometimes with words, other times with wands. If they'd had even one friend who'd truly cared about their well being then perhaps a divorce would have been suggested. But there was no such friend and so they were encouraged to maintain their 'relationship', for the sake of appearances.

Their marriage was the union of two twisted souls who did not belong together, anymore then they could belong to to world. Perhaps it was a mistake, perhaps is was fate, but in the end only death was able to part Rodolphus Lestrange and Bellatrix Black.


	2. Chapter 2

It was easier to simply ignore him. That would be best for everyone. If she could simply forget his stupid face and go about the rest of her life the way she was supposed to. Her sisters were so much better at that than she was. Bellatrix actually wanted the life she'd been born into. Narcissa was not as happy with her lot, but she was always so graceful and charming, no could ever guess what she was really thinking.

And then there was Andromeda. She didn't want to follow the path laid out before her, and she wan't subtle about it either. As girls her sisters had been prim and proper while Andromeda ran around with dirt on her face and scrapes on her knees. As they'd grown older, they'd grown farther apart. Bellatrix became cruel, Narcissa quiet, and Andromeda...well she wasn't really sure. But is was made very clear to her that she was different and different had no place in the Noble House of Black.

Andromeda managed to appease her family by being sorted into Slytherin. Intoxicated by their approval she became the perfect Black. She learned to keep herself clean and her opinions to herself.

Of course, that all went out the window when she met _him._ He was perfect. He was kind and funny. He loved Andromeda and she loved him. But there was one problem. He wasn't pureblood, not even halfblood. He was what her family called 'mudblood'. It was unforgivable for a Black to love a mudblood. Andromeda would be disowned if she was even seen with him.

It would be best if she forgot all about him. But every time she closed her eyes she saw is smile. Every time she was away from him she missed him. She longed to feel in fingers running through her hair, his lips on hers. Andromeda couldn't just forget about him, and she knew she would pay for that.


	3. Chapter 3

She doesn't love him, not even close. In fact, she despises him. He is weak. He is pathetic. Narcissa would have preferred almost any other man to Lucius Malfoy. He is vain. He is spineless.

He will never guess how she truly feels about him. She is clever. She is strong. To him she will always be a devoted wife. She does not challenge him. What would be the point? He's not a worthy adversary.

Narcissa wants someone on equal footing. Someone intelligent and firm in their beliefs. She thinks of the men she knows. Who can match her? Antonin Dolohov was clever, but too arrogant, not worthy of Narcissa. Evan Rosier was unquestionably loyal to Voldemort, but he wasn't very bright.

Rodolphus Lestrange could present a challenge. He was competent and not easily manipulated. Unfortunately he was also her brother-in-law.

Perhaps Narcissa wasn't destined for love. She would marry an idiot for the sake of her family, as was her duty. She would be lonely. She would be powerful. She was destined to suffer. She was destined to prosper.


End file.
